Aaron Alexis's Mom "Glad" That "He Can No Longer Do Harm"

The mother of Aaron Alexis , the gunman who killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard, said today that her "heart is broken," but she is "glad" that he can no longer do harm to anyone. Alexis' mother, Cathleen Alexis, read a brief statement to reporters in response to her son's murderous rampage Monday at the Navy Yard, saying she had no idea why he would do such a thing. "Our son Aaron Alexis has murdered 12 people and wounded several others," she said in the statement. "His actions have had a profound and everlasting effect on the families of the victims. I don't know why he did what he did and I'll never be able to ask him why." "Aaron is now in a place where he can no longer do harm to anyone and for that I am glad. To the families of the victims I am so, so very sorry that this happened," she said. "My heart is broken." Alexis' family has spoken only briefly about their son since the shooting on Monday morning, in which Alexis entered the Navy base where he was set to begin an IT contracting job and opened fire on employees. Twelve individuals were killed before law enforcement officers were able to shoot and kill Alexis. On Tuesday, Alexis's stepfather told the Daily Mail that Alexis was walking out of the World Trade Center subway stop when the first tower collapsed, and that he stayed to help pull bodies from the rubble. "Aaron said he was on the escalator coming up from the subway station when he saw the building come down. It was right in front of him, and he said he saw it collapse," Frank Calderon, Alexis's stepfather, told the Daily Mail. "That day was traumatic for everyone involved. He did not talk much about it, but he said he helped out. He was a strong young man, so he would have done what he could." On Monday, Alexis' brother-in-law came out of the family's home in Brooklyn, N.Y., and told reporters that Alexis did not come home often. Alexis' sister had not seen her brother in five years, her husband said. In the hours after the shooting, police reports from around the country showed Alexis' encounters with police over the past decade exhibited a pattern of angry outbursts and disturbing behavior. He told friends and police that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder because of his work at the 9/11 World Trade Center attack, a claim that New York authorities said they had no record of. Alexis's father repeated the claim to Seattle police after Alexis was arrested in 2004 for firing a gun at a man's car tires. His father said Alexis suffered from PTSD because of 9/11. A police report in August from Rhode Island stated that Alexis had called police to say that three men were following him and they were sending vibrations through his body. Alexis also said he was hearing voices.

Recommended for You

Celine Dion is celebrating the holidays for the first time without her late husband, René Angélil.Angélil, who had also been Dion's manager for decades and her husband since 1994, passed away Jan. 14 after a long battle with throat cancer. He died two days before his 74th birthday.Dion told the New

As locals near Washington, D.C.’s Comet Ping Pong restaurant know too well, fake news headlines can have real-world implications. Edgar Welch allegedly fired three shots at the local hotspot after driving 350 miles from North Carolina in order to investigate a fake news story that the pizzeria was home

Swift, 26, released a video snippet of "I Don’t Wanna Live Forever" just before midnight Thursday on her social media accounts, set to scenes from the film. Malik teased a different part on the song on social media, showing off his part of the duet.

The first trailer for "Spider-Man: Homecoming" is here and there's a lot to take in, including a new villain, a new suit, new friend and ... new lady loves? The clip, which premiered last night on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," opens with Spidey doing what he does best. "Wait a minute

African-American model Deddeh Howard is on a mission to change the fashion industry, one revolutionary image at a time. Howard posted photos of herself recreating ad campaigns, such as Kendall Jenner for Calvin Klein, Gigi Hadid for Guess and Kate Moss for David Yurman, in a project she called “Black

Donald Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway has blasted the president-elect's critics -- namely Hillary Clinton supporters -- for fueling a barrage of death threats against her. "Anytime I respond, anytime I defend myself against these ... allegations that are now leading to death threats

Actor Ryan Gosling discussed his upcoming musical "La La Land," and his own personal experience of moving to Los Angeles to follow his dreams in an interview with "Good Morning America" that aired today. "You know, it's not easy to leave your hometown and your family and

South Korea's national assembly voted Friday to impeach President Park Geun-hye over her alleged links to a corruption scandal. Backed by overwhelming public support -- evident from the millions of South Koreans who have filled the streets in recent weeks demanding her impeachment -- the opposition-controlled

Donald Trump is reprising the slogan of his historic presidential campaign as the official theme of a five-day inaugural celebration in the nation's capital next month, ABC News has learned. The Trump inaugural committee is set to announce “Make America Great Again!” -- a rallying cry for his supporters

Buzz Aldrin, prepare for lift off.After spending more than a week at a New Zealand hospital, Aldrin’s assistant tweeted a photo Friday morning showing the legendary NASA astronaut on an airplane with the caption, “Bye bye New Zealand! Hope to see you again! (But next time for vacation and not evacuation

The death of legendary astronaut John Glenn sparked an outpouring of tributes, including from President Obama, who said the space pioneer "lifted the hopes of a nation.""With John's passing, our nation has lost an icon and Michelle and I have lost a friend," Obama said. "

President-elect Donald Trump unloaded on China during the third stop on his "thank you" victory tour, telling a crowd in Des Moines, Iowa that the country is "going to start" playing by the rules. Trump has taken a tough stance on China throughout his campaign, but he raised eyebrows

President-elect Donald Trump is set to remain an executive producer of “Celebrity Apprentice,” a representative for MGM tells ABC News. The news comes as Trump is facing questions about what business ties, if any, he will keep as he assumes the presidency and criticism that he could face conflicts of

Princess Kate stepped out tonight wearing the famous pearl-and-diamond-clad Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara, which was a favorite of Princess Diana, for the annual white tie diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace. The Duchess of Cambridge looked regal in red, recycling the same dress by designer Jenny

One son was so proud of his parents finally graduating from college that he couldn't help boast about their achievement on Twitter. It's been a long road for Cole III's father, Charles L. Cole Jr. and his wife Renaté, to graduate. The younger Cole, 33, obtained his bachelor's degree

President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to run the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), pending Senate approval. What He Does Now: Pruitt is the attorney general of Oklahoma and was elected to the position on Nov. 2, 2010, becoming only the second Republican

The mother of twin girls born conjoined at the abdomen and chest it said it was "surreal" to see her daughters separated. Speaking to reporters alongside doctors today, Aida Sandoval, and her husband, Arturo Sandoval, were brought to tears as they recounted their daughters' operation earlier

A recently widowed man from New Jersey has found much-needed comfort in his wife's absence after his wedding ring -- which had been lost for more than 15 years -- was found and returned to him earlier this week. David Penner, 68, told ABC station WABC today that the ring's return came just a